/PRNewswire-/ -- Oxfam America President Raymond C. Offenheiser made the following statement in reaction to today's announcement by Secretary Hillary Clinton that the US is prepared to work with other developed countries to mobilize $100 billion a year by 2020 to address the climate change needs of developing countries:
"Secretary Clinton's announcement could be one of the missing keys that unlock the international negotiations in Copenhagen. Her recognition that substantial resources are needed to help developing countries weather the negative impacts of climate change could truly move us closer to a fair and adequate global deal on climate change.
"Around the world, millions of people are facing the fact that the impacts of climate change are here to stay and due to get worse before they get better, no matter how quickly we cut emissions. From Benin to Bangladesh, the poorest people are hit first and worst by climate change, but are least responsible for causing it.
"This welcome development was bolstered by Speaker Nancy Pelosi's impressive bipartisan congressional delegation to Copenhagen, which demonstrated that the Administration's proposals have strong support in the US Congress.
"To ensure a strong path forward, we hope President Obama will build on Secretary Clinton's announcement and the demonstrated Congressional support and firm up the US commitment to meet this goal with public funding that is new and additional to current development assistance. Hard-hit communities around the world must not face a trade-off between health clinics and early warning systems for disasters."
Oxfam America is an international relief and development organization that creates lasting solutions to poverty, hunger and injustice. www.oxfamamerica.org.
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Showing posts with label climate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label climate. Show all posts
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Americans Favor Carbon Tax Over Cap and Trade, Two-To-One
/PRNewswire/ -- Today, the U.S. Climate Task Force (CTF) and Future 500 released the results of a new survey by Hart Research, which reveals that three out of four Americans favor legislation to significantly cut carbon emissions -- contradicting reports that public support had cooled. Moreover, "Energy And Climate Change Policy: A Survey among American Voters" shows that U.S. voters favor a carbon tax over cap and trade by nearly two-to-one. These findings suggest it's politically feasible for the U.S. Congress to pass a national emissions policy; lawmakers just need to pick the right one.
The survey, which polled over 1,000 registered voters across the country, found a carbon tax outperforms emissions trading systems across the electorate, including voters in every income bracket, each region of the country, and on both sides of the political aisle. Moreover, those who give higher priority to climate issues are even less likely to support cap and trade as the best solution.
"This poll reveals that only two percent of voters hold very positive view of cap and trade -- the system at the core of the current Senate bill," explains Dr. Elaine Kamarck, former senior policy advisor to Vice President Al Gore and current CTF Co-chair. "But it's not too late to salvage the situation. With both the U.N. and the Senate delaying major climate debates until next year, policymakers now have time to make a serious course correction in the emissions debate. And this survey offers Congress -- especially those looking ahead to the 2010 midterm elections -- the necessary guideposts for success."
CTF Chair Dr. Robert J. Shapiro, former U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce and senior advisor to Bill Clinton notes, "Support for a carbon tax-shift has been strong among economists and many environmentalists for a long time, because it sets a stable price for carbon, providing businesses and households the incentives they need to develop and adopt climate friendly fuels and technologies. It also provides accompanying tax cuts for American families. This new survey shows that the same attributes that make this policy appealing to these groups also make it the most popular option for two out of every three average Americans."
"By more than two-to-one, Americans want strong action to protect the climate, and they favor using the tax system to help achieve that," says Bill Shireman, President of Future 500. "We applaud the tremendous progress made to advance climate legislation in the past year. To actually enact required changes into law, Congress will need to improve on the current Boxer-Kerry model, to best meet the climate crisis and unite environmental, business, social justice, and taxpayer interests."
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The survey, which polled over 1,000 registered voters across the country, found a carbon tax outperforms emissions trading systems across the electorate, including voters in every income bracket, each region of the country, and on both sides of the political aisle. Moreover, those who give higher priority to climate issues are even less likely to support cap and trade as the best solution.
"This poll reveals that only two percent of voters hold very positive view of cap and trade -- the system at the core of the current Senate bill," explains Dr. Elaine Kamarck, former senior policy advisor to Vice President Al Gore and current CTF Co-chair. "But it's not too late to salvage the situation. With both the U.N. and the Senate delaying major climate debates until next year, policymakers now have time to make a serious course correction in the emissions debate. And this survey offers Congress -- especially those looking ahead to the 2010 midterm elections -- the necessary guideposts for success."
CTF Chair Dr. Robert J. Shapiro, former U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce and senior advisor to Bill Clinton notes, "Support for a carbon tax-shift has been strong among economists and many environmentalists for a long time, because it sets a stable price for carbon, providing businesses and households the incentives they need to develop and adopt climate friendly fuels and technologies. It also provides accompanying tax cuts for American families. This new survey shows that the same attributes that make this policy appealing to these groups also make it the most popular option for two out of every three average Americans."
"By more than two-to-one, Americans want strong action to protect the climate, and they favor using the tax system to help achieve that," says Bill Shireman, President of Future 500. "We applaud the tremendous progress made to advance climate legislation in the past year. To actually enact required changes into law, Congress will need to improve on the current Boxer-Kerry model, to best meet the climate crisis and unite environmental, business, social justice, and taxpayer interests."
-----
www.politicalpotluck.com
Political News You Can Use
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